Why Medieval Christians Treasured Mother Mary’s Milk

Why did medieval Christians regard Mother Mary’s milk as something sacred, powerful, and worthy of devotion? This episode explores the beliefs, images, relics, and miracle stories that gave Mary’s motherhood such a striking place in medieval Christian imagination. From theology and medicine to art and popular devotion, we look at how medieval people understood the relationship between Mary, Christ, purity, mercy, and the human body. Some of these ideas may seem surprising today, but in their original context they carried deep religious meaning.